Time of Dying
by Komoflauge
Summary: Derek is in trouble, but what happens when tables turn and it's not his life on the line?


**Tile: Time of Dying**

**Rating: T**

**Warning: Major character death**

**Summary: Derek is in trouble, but what happens when tables turn and it's not his life on the line?**

**Genre: Angst/Romance/Tragedy**

**Pairing: Derek/Stiles**

**Author note: Thanks to VCCV for being my beta. The song used is **_**"Time of Dying" by Three Days Grace.**_

_"On the ground I lay motionless in pain. I can see my life flashing before my eyes."_

In all his life, Stiles never thought he'd actually get shot, and further, he never dreamt the pain would be this excruciating. He had both hands, one on top of the other, putting as much pressure as he could on the bullet hole. He staggered off into the brush, away from the ensuing fight. He shoved his back against the nearest tree and collapsed, hands never leaving his wound. It had all happened so fast; he initially didn't even notice he'd been shot.

He wasn't really doing much to help, mainly just standing a ways behind Derek and Scott, throwing the occasional rock at hunters. The only reason his gaze was pulled away from the main fight was a snapping twig from the opposite direction. Stiles turned around and saw Kate Argent, the psychotic bitch leading all these men, aiming a gun towards the fight. Stiles followed the gun to its target: Derek. Kate was going to shoot him and Stiles couldn't let that happen, not again.

Time slowed down as a shot was fired. The sound left a painful ring in Stiles ear, but there was an even stronger pain in his gut. He lowered his hand shakily to the origin of pain and brought it back up to his face. Blood covered his hand. In all his time, Stiles never thought he'd actually get shot, but he wanted to save the man he loved

_"I will not die, I'll wait here for you."_

Stiles pushed harder on his wound, throwing his head back, a pained whimper escaping his lips. The fight had died down, and all that he could hear were Kate's hateful words. She was taunting Derek, using Stiles. She told him how Stiles willingly took the bullet; that it was Derek's fault he was off bleeding to death somewhere. She told Derek that he would never be happy. That anyone he ever cared for would die a painful death. She told him that by now Stiles was probably already dead.

"Derek!" Stiles wanted to bring the man's attention away from Kate. The way his abdomen clenched as he yelled brought more pain to the wound.

"Well, my mistake. He's still breathing." Kate smirked at Derek. "Aren't you going to go save him?" She walked away, positive that the younger man would go after the boy.

"Derek!" Stiles' voice came out strained; it felt like he was using the last of his air to call out.

"Stiles!" Derek ran towards Stiles, the scent of blood filling his nostrils. Scott quickly followed after. As Derek arrived, he fell to his knees in front of the bleeding boy. By now, Stiles hands were covered in blood; in fact, the entire bottom of his shirt was stained with it.

"Derek." A smile fell over Stiles' lips, even in pain, he was happy to see the man, happy that Derek came for him.

"Stiles, I'm so sorry." The older man pulled him into his lap, placing his hands over the boy's to add pressure to the wound. There was so much blood, and listening to the faint beat of Stiles' heart told him that there wasn't much time.

_"I feel alive when you're beside me."_

"Don't be." Stiles weakly nuzzled his face into Derek's stomach. "You have nothing to be sorry about."

"It's my fault." It was the first time Stiles had seen Derek show any emotion beside anger. "You should have stayed away." Derek's lower jaw quivered, and he closed his eyes, trying to hold back the tears.

"I didn't want to stay away." Stiles pulled one of his hands away from the wound to reach for Derek's cheek. "I feel the safest when I'm near you." He lightly stroked the man's cheek, leaving a trail of blood as he did so.

"You're hurt because of me." Tears fell down Derek's cheeks.

_"Was it all too much?"_

"No, I'm hurt because of me." Stiles stopped stroking Derek's cheek. "Because I _wanted_ to protect you." He tugged the man's face down to his, giving him a weak kiss. "Because I love you."

_"Or just not enough?"_

"Someone help!" Derek stood in the middle of the ER, screaming, tears falling down his cheeks. Stiles had gone limp in his arms as he ran to the hospital; the boy still had a heartbeat, but it was so faint.

The nurses wheeled a gurney in and put Stiles on it before taking him to the OR. Derek was followed the nurses, not wanting to leave the boy's side.

"Sir, you can't come back here." Derek could have easily shoved past the woman, but he let her stop him. At this point, he wasn't any help. "Thank you."

Hours passed before Derek could see Stiles again. He couldn't sit still; he paced the waiting room, repeatedly. Scott stayed with Derek; he wanted to know Stiles was fine before he went to get the Sheriff. Finally, a doctor came out and told the two they could see Stiles. Derek rushed quickly through the hall, while Scott raced to the police station.

The sight Derek was met with, made him cringe. Stiles was hooked up to the heart monitor, IV in his arm, and the boy still hadn't woken up. Derek pulled a chair as close as he could to the bed, grabbing the boy's hand, and holding it between his own. He brought Stiles' hand to his lips and just held it there, tears forming in his eyes once again.

"Please wake up." Derek's voice wavered. "Please." Stiles' hand gave a small twitch, but he didn't wake. Derek knew he should leave, that if people recognized him he'd be arrested; but he didn't care. All that mattered right now was the life of the boy he loved.

Scott finally came back with the Sheriff, and he came with several other policemen. Sheriff Stilinski stayed with his son, while the other officers took Derek into custody. Derek leaned into Stiles, placing a soft 'goodbye' kiss to his lips before letting the officers handcuff him. As Derek was pried away, he watched through the glass as the Sheriff took his spot and sat by his son.

_"On this bed I lay, losing everything. I can see my life passing me by."_

Stiles woke briefly, but quickly fell back into a deep sleep. Each time he'd wake, there would be someone different. Scott, Allison, Lydia, his dad, Jackson and even Melissa took turns watching over him; but no Derek. Weeks passed and Stiles still couldn't manage more than a few minutes of consciousness before falling back into darkness.

"Stiles." The voice was soft, but it held a heart-breaking sadness.

Stiles could feel the gentle caress on his hand; this was what had brought him out of the darkness. His eyes slowly opened and he blinked to get rid of the blur in his vision. He turned his head to the side, and his heart pounded, hard, against his chest.

"I thought you left me," he rasped; his voice was weaker than it had ever been.

"Never." Green eyes locked with brown ones.

"Where were you?" Stiles whispered.

"Jail," Derek answered plainly.

"Did you break out?" Stiles questioned

"No, they released me when more people ended up dead. They realized I wasn't responsible."

"That's good." Stiles gave a small smile.

Derek gave a short nod; he didn't see how anything could be good.

"Hey!" Stiles put as much force as he could behind the word. "Stop blaming yourself." He stroked the older man's hand.

"I love you, Stiles." Derek looked into the boy's eyes once again, different emotions playing off his features.

"I love you, too, Derek." Stiles could feel the sudden loss of energy as the darkness began pulling him back. "Don't leave this time."

Derek nodded and watched the boy fall back into a slumber. His heart still beat faintly' even after weeks it hadn't gotten its strength back.

_"Did I fall asleep? Is this all a dream?"_

The high-pitched monotone noise blared through the room; it bored its way into Derek's head, as did the voices.

"Start chest compressions!" The nurses did as told, switching out every few minutes, while the doctor tried to figure out why Stiles' heart had stopped. Several drugs were pumped into his bloodstream, but nothing had worked.

Derek squeezed his eyes shut, silently begging the boy to wake up. For anything to breathe life back into him. Nothing. His heartbeat had just stopped…and it never came back.

"There's nothing else we can do." The doctor stopped, and the nurses slowly stepped away, guilty expressions exchanged. "Time of death, 3:11 AM."

"No. No!" Derek raced to the boy's side, tears cascading from his eyes. "Why?" He questioned. "Why him?" He fell into howls of loss, pulling the limp body into his arms and holding it.

_"Why?" Tears were beginning to form in the Wolf's eyes._

_"I told you." Stiles looked into his green eyes. "Because I love you."_

_"Why wouldn't you stay away?" There was questioning anger in Derek's voice. "It would have been best…for everyone." He fell to his knees, balling the fabric of his pants in his fists._

_"But it wasn't what I felt was best." Stiles slowly followed Derek's movement, kneeling in front of him, placing a hand on his cheek. "You're everything to me."_

_"Why?" Derek's questioning gaze stared straight ahead. "Why does it always end like this?" He looked at the tombstone:_

_'His heart was bigger than his imagination.'_

_"Stiles" Stilinski_

_Son, Friend and Lover_

_1995-2011_

_"Why does it always have to end alone?"_

_"You're never alone. I'm always with you." Stiles placed a tender kiss on Derek's lips._

Derek's eyes shot open and he sat straight up in bed. His fingers ghosted over his lips, "Stiles?"

_"I will not die, I'll wait here for you, in my time of dying."_


End file.
